Blessings in Bali

It’s ironic that our first church experience was on Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the important Muslim Ramadan. Indonesia is over 87% Muslim, with Buddhism and Hinduism also prevalent: Christian and Catholic churches are scarce.  Bali has only a sprinkling of Christian churches, which is why we were shocked to see a C3 location (the name of the church we often attend in San Diego).  Like the San Diego location, this church is filled with Australians, but run by a local, Pastor Wayan, and his wife, Pastor Gayle Dwije.  The service was well worth the over an hour drive (main roads are closed on Sunday mornings, because Denpasar declared a car-free zone) and the detour we took (our driver dropped us at a large, Catholic church before collecting us and taking us to the proper location).

Entrance to C3 Bali

We were immediately greeted warmly and welcomed up a flight of stairs into a room with a small platform, and Hillsong music playing from the speakers.  Locals and a sprinkling of foreigners gathered, but all smiled and shook our hands.  The service was in English and Bahasa, half of the worship familiar songs and half in the local language. It was surreal to feel God even without knowing the words they were singing.  The joy in the room was infectious and the young worship band had everyone moving and clapping.  Pastor Wayan made a point to introduce himself before the service and when he heard that we came from C3 San Diego he told us we weren’t just visitors, we were traveling angels.  The calling we’ve heard for months was presenting itself.

The announcements showed a video clip of children at camps and the school programs that the church runs.  The impact of this church on Denpasar and the children of this community is immeasurable. After the service, Jay and I chatted with Pastor Gayle about her story and the vision for the church.  She and Pastor Wayan have been married for 21 years, and she’s been in Indonesia for 24.  They started by creating a school and then the church grew out of their home with a congregation of 1.  They’re a simply amazing couple, changing lives and communities through love and evangelism.  

This is the church we were called to, and where we will serve throughout the next two months.  They’re struggling to collect money for the rent of the new space they are trying to move into, and are taking up a miracle offering on August 6.  This is where we come in, where are all of you come in.  God spoke so clearly to us during this service that we are to help collect beyond the funds they need. $140 million rupiahs covers the rent for the entire church and school facility for the next two years: $10,500 American dollars.  

So this is where we come in, and where we’re asking you to pray about giving.  We set up this GoFundMe page to raise as much as we can towards that amount of what this church is praying for:  

www.gofundme.com/CBandJC3 

So often we are praying for the things we need; it’s a rare opportunity to be able to be the blessing that this church has been praying for.  We can fulfill the faith and hope for a place that gives boundless love.

Any money raised by August 6 will go to C3 Bali, to serve Denpasar, as the church runs countless outreach programs and schools.  They go into the slums and educate those who society has forgotten about; they run after school programs for Compassion International children who attend a government school; they run a school for children who cannot attend that program.  We were placed in this country, in this church, on this day so that we could become the blessing that they’ve been praying for.  We have two months to be that blessing, and more.  

Anything we collect will be tithed to C3 Bali in the miracle offering on August 6.  We are praying big, for the full $11,000, but are committing to $2000.  We changed the number countless times, scared of the large amount and not wanting to scare anyone off.  But we realized we came here to be scared and be challenged, to be pushed out of our comfort zones, and to give more than what we even realize we have. Please join us in being part of their miracle.  Even $5 makes a huge impact in this community and will be given and received with deepest gratitude.